Shloka 38
द्रौणिप्रतिज्ञा–नारायणास्त्रवर्णनम्
Drauṇi’s Vow and the Description of the Nārāyaṇāstra
दुःशासन तु समरे प्रतिविन्ध्यो महारथ: । नवश्ि: सायकैर्विद्ध्वा पुनर्विव्याध सप्तभि:,तत्पश्चात् महारथी प्रतिविन्ध्यने समरभूमिमें दुःशासनको नौ बाणोंसे घायल करके फिर सात बाणोंसे बींध डाला
sañjaya uvāca | duḥśāsanas tu samare prativindhyo mahārathaḥ | navaś ca sāyakair viddhvā punar vivyādha saptabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, the great chariot-warrior Prativindhya struck Duḥśāsana with nine arrows, and then pierced him again with seven more. The narration underscores the relentless escalation of violence on the battlefield, where prowess and vengeance drive repeated wounding rather than restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma—valor and persistence in combat—while also implicitly revealing how war normalizes repeated injury and retaliation, challenging ideals of restraint and compassion.
During the battle, Prativindhya, described as a mahāratha, wounds Duḥśāsana with nine arrows and then strikes him again with seven, emphasizing the intensity and continuity of the duel.